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Vax site opens on Riegelmann Boardwalk for one weekend only

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Coney Island.
Photo by Todd Maisel

Southern Brooklynites taking a stroll on the Riegelmann Boardwalk between now and May 23 are in for more than just a beautiful view — they can also get their COVID-19 shot!

From May 20 through May 23, the city’s Test & Trace program is teaming up with Neighbor Network to offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at Brighton Second Street, right next to the boardwalk.

No appointments are required to get inoculated at the mobile site — open from 8 am to 6 pm over the four-day span — and anyone over the age of 18 is eligible.

Neighbor Network — a program launched by a consortium of city-based nonprofits and elected officials to connect with seniors amid the pandemic — will reach out to the area’s older adults by phone and in-person to make sure they’re aware of the mobile site.

The organization will also arrange transportation to those who need it, which can be requested by leaving a message at (646) 470-8259 or by filling out the form at tinyurl.com/vaccinenavigation.

A representative from Neighbor Network told Brooklyn Paper location for the mobile vaccine site was selected to target an area with lower vaccination rates, a higher density of older adults and non-English speakers, and where there is a lot of foot traffic. 

“We chose this location because the neighborhood has lower rates of vaccination than the city average,” wrote Danya Levy in an email with Brooklyn Paper. “Additionally, we wanted to target Russian speakers, and especially older adults, in an area with a lot of pedestrian traffic.”

Brighton Beach zip codes record some of the lower vaccine rates in the borough, both falling below the average of a 35-percent full vaccination rate. Brighton Beach, Coney Island and Seagate’s 11224 has 29 percent of its total population fully vaccinated and 35-percent have received one dose, while the neighboring 11235 comprising Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach and Sheepshead Bay shows 33 percent of its population have received both jabs of the vaccine, and 40 percent who have received only their first, according to city data